^ WASHINGTON (AP)—The perjury trial of pitching great Roger Clemens began Wednesday with word that Hall of Famer Wade Boggs and former All-Star pitcher David Cone could be called to testify in their former teammate’s defense. Boggs and Cone are among 10 former ballplayers or people associated with the game who could be called as witnesses for Clemens’ defense against charges he lied to Congress about the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Roger Clemens walks out of the U.S. District Court after his arraignment, on August 30, 2010 in Washington, DC.(Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Clemens’ lead lawyer Rusty Hardin told prospective jurors that Clemens’ wife, Debbie, also will likely be a witness. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton turned to the selection of jury immediately after opening the
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Malouda plans to stay with Chelsea
Chelsea's Florent Malouda insists he will stay at Stamford Bridge and see out the remainder of his contract, despite being linked with a summer move to the Serie A. GettyImagesFlorent Malouda has an inconsistent 2010-11 • Cech fears for English goalkeeping• Cole backs meticulous Villas-Boas• Di Matteo happy as No. 2 AC Milan, Roma and Inter have all reportedly expressed recent interest in Malouda. Talk of Malouda's mooted move has developed since Andre Villas-Boas took over as Chelsea boss, but the 31-year-old winger believes he will continue playing under the new manager. "My relationship with the coach is good. My contract at Chelsea runs until 2013, and I want to stay until 2014 at least," he told the Daily Express. Meanwhile, widespread reports in the English media continue to
Rangers ink C Richards for $60M, 9 years (AP)
NEW YORK (AP)—Brad Richards(notes) impatiently waited for this day, the day he could finally pick a new team from a whole slew of suitors. After a day of being wooed by teams around the NHL, Richards chose the one that was the front-runner all along—the New York Rangers. Richards, considered the biggest prize in this year’s underwhelming free-agent market, struck it rich Saturday when he agreed to a nine-year, $ 60 million deal. “The phone will probably get thrown in a lake later today and we’ll get on with just relaxing,” Richards said. “You have to respect the process but I’m not a person that likes to wait around for something to happen and it’s kind of been like that for 60,
Nadal, new No. 1 Djokovic reach final (AP)
WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—From 1983 to 2003, the world’s top two players never met each other in the Wimbledon men’s final. It’s about to happen for the seventh time in eight years—with a couple of twists. Thanks mainly to a couple of guys named Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, No. 1 vs. No. 2 Grand Slam finals became something of a regular occurrence in recent years, at the All England Club and elsewhere. On Sunday, No. 1 Nadal will be involved in yet another 1-2 Wimbledon championship matchup, only it’ll be against No. 2 Novak Djokovic—and they’ll switch spots in the ATP rankings a day later. As of Monday, Djokovic will move up to No. 1, and Nadal will slide down to No. 2,
Choi equals course record to lead in Pennsylvania
KJ Choi knew he was destined for a 'special round' even before completing an outstanding six-under-par 64 to move into the lead at the midway point of the AT&T National in Pennsylvania. Choi managed an unexceptional 69 in his opening round, but was in inspired form on Friday as he matched the course record with four straight birdies on the opening nine setting him on his way. He made the turn in 30 and, although he bogeyed the 11th, back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th ensured he finished his round in top spot on seven under. Choi, who won The Players Championship earlier this year, said: 'I didn't know, nor did anybody tell me [I was on target for the course record]. 'But
Dodgers file for bankruptcy protection (AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP)—One of baseball’s proudest franchises is in tatters, its future to be decided more in the courtroom than on the field. The Los Angeles Dodgers filed for bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court Monday, blaming Major League Baseball for refusing to approve a multibillion-dollar TV deal that owner Frank McCourt was counting on to keep the troubled franchise afloat. McCourt, upset that baseball Commissioner Bud Selig rejected the proposed TV deal last week, hopes a federal judge will approve $ 150 million in financing to be used for daily operations, which would give him more time to seek a more favorable media contract. A hearing is set for Tuesday. “The action taken today by Mr. McCourt does nothing but inflict